Our new Indie Games subforum is now open for business in G&T. Go and check it out, you might land a code for a free game. If you're developing an indie game and want to post about it, follow these directions. If you don't, he'll break your legs! Hahaha! Seriously though.

Our rules have been updated and given their own forum. Go and look at them! They are nice, and there may be new ones that you didn't know about! Hooray for rules! Hooray for The System! Hooray for Conforming!

How often does pax_questions respond to emails? I've sent a few over the last week regarding some disability accommodations but have yet to receive a response

They respond to them all the time. It's the volume that causes issues. Make absolutely sure you sent them to pax_questions@paxsite.com and there were no typos. I'd give them about a week to respond or so, especially given the giant CF that happened with reg that probably bogged them down.

How often does pax_questions respond to emails? I've sent a few over the last week regarding some disability accommodations but have yet to receive a response

They respond to them all the time. It's the volume that causes issues. Make absolutely sure you sent them to pax_questions@paxsite.com and there were no typos. I'd give them about a week to respond or so, especially given the giant CF that happened with reg that probably bogged them down.

Yeah I realize they're under load but my original email was sent about a week ago and I sent a follow up email the other day to no avail.

What does BYOC stand for?
Bring Your Own Computer. This is a large LAN party within PAX! So bring your gaming computer and get playing!
Hint! Follow @Prime_BYOC for updates on the BYOC room AND for updates when passes go on sale! These sell out quick!

I bought a BYOC pass but now I don't want it! Where can I sell it??

You have two choices. BYOC passes are being mailed out along with regular passes. You can either give it to a friend or you can ask for a refund, email pax_questions@paxsite.com

I'm planning on staying at the Sheraton with 2 other people. I notice if I choose 2 guests I have the option to request a rollaway but not with 3. Anyone know if with 3 people a rollaway is included in the extra price?

Despite my fears earlier, I snagged all 5 nights at the Hyatt I needed. $1100 later. But it's all good, this is the wife and my vacation for the year so SPLURGE HO! (Total tab so far is about $1800 for hote and plane fair, and $130 for the tickets. Our trip went up this year a lot it seems. Looks like the new budget is $2500?! I'm so glad I just got a new Graduate assistantship to pay for all this!)

How fast does onpeak sell out for single person rooms? am a sad panda it went live cause i don't get paid for 2 weeks

This varies depending on hotel. BUT, you don't put any money down right now, so you may just want to grab a room. (You can cancel up to 3 days before.)
I just put the rooms on my Credit Card and no stickershock (well the plane tickets are on there, so that's stickershock.)

Trying to buy a pass for a friend, I got up to the credit card page and put in my info with no trouble. I hit "Complete Purchase" and then a "Please Wait" window popped up. Nothing more has happened for ~10 minutes; the "Please Wait" is still there with the bar spinning. How long did some of you see that screen?

UPDATE: I gave up after ~20 minutes and closed the tab. My card wasn't charged. I just went and did it all again and it worked quickly.

jaberwockynmt on May 2012

--Jarrod "Jaberwocky" Lombardo, PAX Enforcer: Info Booth Manager.
"We know that the moment we slip, it will be taken away... and so it is of the utmost importance to be worthy of it constantly."
PAX will always be held on the best weekend for PAX. Sometimes that will be a bad weekend for you; I'm sorry.

How fast does onpeak sell out for single person rooms? am a sad panda it went live cause i don't get paid for 2 weeks

This varies depending on hotel. BUT, you don't put any money down right now, so you may just want to grab a room. (You can cancel up to 3 days before.)
I just put the rooms on my Credit Card and no stickershock (well the plane tickets are on there, so that's stickershock.)

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

Yeah, there's no good answer for that. Probably to incentivise buying 3-days.

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

Yeah, there's no good answer for that. Probably to incentivise buying 3-days.

After the trending breaking that was this year, I'd imagine this is going to have to change (just MHO, that's all). You can incentivise buying 3 days at $75 and still encourage people to buy 2 days if they are only going to be in town for 2 days.
The one thing the current system does is allow people to buy passes now, without having to have made that choice (i.e. defer planning until later.) That's benevolent, but it fails the Econ101 test.
Of course even at 2X[oneday]+5 (or even +10) you'd still have people buying the 3 days chancing that they'd be in town (or could sell them) but at least you'd lower demand somewhat.

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

Yeah, there's no good answer for that. Probably to incentivise buying 3-days.

doubt they really need for incentivise 3-day passes. PAX is awesome enough. TBH I'd say this makes people mad/sad because instead of spending 65 to go for 3 days they now have to spend 105 because people that only want to go two days bought all dem 3-day passes

I need some assistance. I'm a gaming journalist for a big site in Australia and we just received funding for me to come over to PAX Prime this year! However every time I have checked the site it says media registration is closed. I've sent a few emails off and have had no response. Wondering who I can contact in regards to getting a media badge, otherwise I will just book appointments myself with all the publishers (I know most of them now) and pay for standard attendance passes.

Thanks guys, really excited to go to PAX, it's one of the few events I haven't covered before!

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

Yeah, there's no good answer for that. Probably to incentivise buying 3-days.

After the trending breaking that was this year, I'd imagine this is going to have to change (just MHO, that's all). You can incentivise buying 3 days at $75 and still encourage people to buy 2 days if they are only going to be in town for 2 days.
The one thing the current system does is allow people to buy passes now, without having to have made that choice (i.e. defer planning until later.) That's benevolent, but it fails the Econ101 test.
Of course even at 2X[oneday]+5 (or even +10) you'd still have people buying the 3 days chancing that they'd be in town (or could sell them) but at least you'd lower demand somewhat.

The whole thing fails the econ101 test as the prices are way too low. No reason to go applying arbitrary logic to it ;)

I need some assistance. I'm a gaming journalist for a big site in Australia and we just received funding for me to come over to PAX Prime this year! However every time I have checked the site it says media registration is closed. I've sent a few emails off and have had no response. Wondering who I can contact in regards to getting a media badge, otherwise I will just book appointments myself with all the publishers (I know most of them now) and pay for standard attendance passes.

Thanks guys, really excited to go to PAX, it's one of the few events I haven't covered before!

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

Yeah, there's no good answer for that. Probably to incentivise buying 3-days.

After the trending breaking that was this year, I'd imagine this is going to have to change (just MHO, that's all). You can incentivise buying 3 days at $75 and still encourage people to buy 2 days if they are only going to be in town for 2 days.
The one thing the current system does is allow people to buy passes now, without having to have made that choice (i.e. defer planning until later.) That's benevolent, but it fails the Econ101 test.
Of course even at 2X[oneday]+5 (or even +10) you'd still have people buying the 3 days chancing that they'd be in town (or could sell them) but at least you'd lower demand somewhat.

The whole thing fails the econ101 test as the prices are way too low. No reason to go applying arbitrary logic to it ;)

Just because the price is below what the market will bear does not mean you can't tilt the curve still by reworking the incentive structure to change behavior. Whatever you subsidize you get more of. In this case the 3 day passes are heavily subsidized to buy them without concern as to attending all 3 days. Alter that and you can skew the curve (admittedly the outside factors may soften that skew, but it'd still skew.)
Additionally I'd submit that (despite the heavy Seattle/surrounding area attendence) there's still significant pressure fromthe total cost to attend PAX (rather than the mere incrimental cost of the passes.) so changing the incentive structure may also adjust behavior on that end (i.e. I may only stay 2 days and buy a 2 day pass to save on hotel/flight/whatever.)
Admittedly it's hard to apply standard econ to this, (it's a market with very little elasticity) that doesn't mean it should be thrown out the windown entirely.

no one can probably answer this, but I'll ask anyway. Why does PA make it cheaper to buy a 3-day at the 2nd instead of the 3rd day? While i got mine I know a few people that didn't and have to wonder how many of the people with 3-day passes are leaving town Saturday night

Yeah, there's no good answer for that. Probably to incentivise buying 3-days.

After the trending breaking that was this year, I'd imagine this is going to have to change (just MHO, that's all). You can incentivise buying 3 days at $75 and still encourage people to buy 2 days if they are only going to be in town for 2 days.
The one thing the current system does is allow people to buy passes now, without having to have made that choice (i.e. defer planning until later.) That's benevolent, but it fails the Econ101 test.
Of course even at 2X[oneday]+5 (or even +10) you'd still have people buying the 3 days chancing that they'd be in town (or could sell them) but at least you'd lower demand somewhat.

The whole thing fails the econ101 test as the prices are way too low. No reason to go applying arbitrary logic to it ;)

Just because the price is below what the market will bear does not mean you can't tilt the curve still by reworking the incentive structure to change behavior. Whatever you subsidize you get more of. In this case the 3 day passes are heavily subsidized to buy them without concern as to attending all 3 days. Alter that and you can skew the curve (admittedly the outside factors may soften that skew, but it'd still skew.)
Additionally I'd submit that (despite the heavy Seattle/surrounding area attendence) there's still significant pressure fromthe total cost to attend PAX (rather than the mere incrimental cost of the passes.) so changing the incentive structure may also adjust behavior on that end (i.e. I may only stay 2 days and buy a 2 day pass to save on hotel/flight/whatever.)
Admittedly it's hard to apply standard econ to this, (it's a market with very little elasticity) that doesn't mean it should be thrown out the windown entirely.

If you want to debate mathematical methods to predict/price pax passes, there's a separate subforum for that. If you want to write a paper about it and email it to @Robert Khoo, please be my guest.

I'm not disagreeing with anything you're saying, but they aren't making decisions based on how best to capture the value that's out there.